Grease-cup



ug. 20, 1935. l.. ci CLARKE 2,011,616

GREASE CUP I Filed July 31, 1935 stares entre agravar orties vGnimSE-Cur Leveson Campbell Clarke, Firle, England, assignor p to Automatic Lubrication Limited, Brighton,

Sussex, England, a British company r Application .luly 31, 1933, Serial No. 682,929

` Irl-Great Britain November 25, 1932 x tenias. (Crim-Asi 4 This inventionlrelates .to grease-cups ofthe type in whichthe grease is'expelled by means of aspring-controlled hollow piston member having within it a springfcontrolled plunger whichA assists in the expulsion of the grease.

f The object of the presentinvention is to provide aV grease-cup ofV the aforesaid type from which the grease will be expelled in avery steady and even manner. n

The invention will now be described with ref- Y erenceto the accormuanying` drawing in which:-

r'nipple I l Figure 1 is a section of the grease-cup when empty, and

Figure 2 is a similar section of the cup in a partially charged condition.

The grease-cup shown on the drawing comprises acylindrical grease container III having at its lower end a screw-threaded discharge Arranged within the container Ill is a hollow cylindrical inverted cup-shaped member I2 of smaller diameter `than the interior of said container so as to provide an annular space I3 between them. The member I2 has at its upper end an end wall I4 but is open at its lower end. At the latter end, said member is provided with an `outer flange ltl'which is a sliding t in the container l0, and serves as a piston. A peripheral groove I 6 isA provided in the iiange I5 to facilitate the movement of the iiange in the container.

The annular space i3 isclosed at the lower end by the iiange I5 and at the upper end by a cap nut l'I whichis screwed on to the container I. A helical compression spring I8 is arranged in the annular space I3and bears at one end against the flange l5 and at .the other end against the cap nut Il. A grease-expelling plunger I9 iits slidably within the hollow member I2 but need not be a close lit therein. A second helical compressionspring 2Q is provided in the space between the plunger I9 and the end wall I4 ofthe Y hollow member l2, anda hole 2i is provided in Vafter the parts have been initially assembled,

with a ange 23 which prevents the screw cap from leaving the member I2. When the container has been charged, the foregoing parts are replaced and the cap nut I1 is screwed home. The Vplunger I9 is thus forced upwardly into the member I2 and the springs I8 and 2B are compressed. i l

When the grease-cup is in operation, the ange l5 on the member I2 and the plunger I9V both aot'to force out the grease, which transmits in. teracting pressure between them, and the plunger under the balancing action of the springs descends with a very steady movement. The member l2 likewise descends but more slowly. Eventually the parts attain the positions shown in Figure 1 in which the end Wall I4 of the member I2 rests on the cap nut I'I and thus indicates that the container I0 is empty., The strength of the springs I8, 20 will be determined by the size of the cup and the nature of the grease intended to be used therein.

The progress of the discharge of the grease can be ascertained by the position ofthe member I?. the outer surface of which, if desired, may be graduated. In some circumstances, the grease cup acts most eiectively if the outer end of the inverted cup-shaped member is completely closed and this is imperative if the cup is used under water. But in other cases and particularly if the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere is such as to cause a Variation in the pressure of the air Within the member I2 suicient to increase or to reduce appreciably the effective pressure on the plunger I9, then better results are obtained if an aperture 2| is provided in the closed end of the member I2. This aperture should not be larger than is necessary to allow air to escape in order to prevent the admission of any appreciable quantity of foreign matter.

I claim:

1. In a grease cup of the type described comprising a container having a discharge outlet of small diameter relatively to the diameter of the container, the combination of an inverted cupshaped member telescopically mounted in the container so as to leave an annular space between it and the container, which inverted cup-shaped member has at its lower end an external ilange arranged to serve as a'piston, a plunger in the inverted cup-shaped member, a ledge adjacent the open end of the cup-shaped member for limiting the travel of the plunger with respect to the cupshaped member, a compression spring for controlling the plunger disposed Within the inverted cup-shaped member between the end Wall of that member and the plunger, a cap nut on the container for` closing theupper end of the annular space between the inverted cup-shaped member n trolling the inverted cup-shaped member disposed in ysaid annular space, and a stop for said cap member, the outside diameter of fthe flange being i.

Y spring, between the closed end of the member and the plunger, means to kprevent the plunger'from 2O and thev container, a compression springnfor connut on the inverted cup-,shaped member arranged so -as to-permit that membertogether. with said closure, rplunger and springs to be removed from the container as a unit.

2. In a lubricator, a container o1 `uniform crosssection and open at the top and having a reduced f discharge portion, an inverted cupls'hapedl mem-v ber telescopically mountedin the container so as to leave an annular space between kitand the container, an external flange at thelower'end of said substantially the Vsame as thefinside' diameter rof the uniform portion of the container, a plunger in the inverted cup-shaped member; a compression moving beyond the open yend ofthe invertedv cupshaped member, a cap nuton the container for K l closingtheupper end of thesaid anrmlar"space,l

y member, theoutside diameter of theva'nge being and a compressionspring vin-said annular space between the cap member and the external flange. 3. lnalubrioator, a container ofuniform eross'l v section andvopen at kthe top'and having a'reduced discharge portion, `an inverted ,cup-shaped membertelescopically mountedin the container so as Atoileaveanannular space between it and the container, an external rflange at the lower end of said external flange'.k

substantially the same as the-inside diameter of the uniform portion of the container, a plunger y in the inverted cup-shaped member, a compression springbetween the closed end of the member 'and the plunger, a ledge adjacentv the open end vof .the cup-shaped member for preventing the plungerrfrom moving beyondfthej openV end of the inverted lcup-'shaped membena cap nut on the A container -for closing they upper end of the said annular space, and a compression spring inl said annular space betweeny the cap member and the n 4. In a lubricator, a container of uniform crosssection and openat the top `and having a reduced discharge portion, an inverted cupfshaped member telescopically mounted in the container sofas to leave an annularspace between it and the containen'anexternal flange at the lower end of said membenthe'outside diameter of the flange being` substantially the same as the inside diameter of thel uniform portion rof thecontainer, a vplunger in the inverted cup-shaped member, a'compression springbetvveenf the closed end of the member and the plunger, a ledge adjacent theopen 'K Y LEvEsolN CAMPBELL'CIARKE, 

